U.S. Attorney’s Office Launches Renewed Training Initiative to Empower Older Adults to Combat Elder Financial Fraud and Abuse

MACON, Ga. - U.S. Attorney William R. "Will" Keyes and FBI Atlanta's Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Robert Gibbs launched a renewed training initiative to empower older adults in the Middle District of Georgia on financial fraud and abuse, as crimes targeting this population continue to climb rapidly, with the FBI reporting a 37% increase in reported crimes in 2025 compared to the year prior.

U.S. Attorney Will Keyes and FBI Atlanta's SSRA Robert Gibbs speak to residents of the Pruitt Health Active Assisted Living Community in Macon, Georgia, on Oct. 2, 2026.

"We want to support older adults as they take proactive steps to protect themselves from individuals who target them for financial fraud and abuse," said U.S. Attorney William R. "Will" Keyes. "Under the direction of the National Fraud Enforcement Division, we are using every available tool to combat financial fraud, including specialized training designed to help older adults recognize the signs of financial crimes, safeguard themselves, and report suspected wrongdoing. This layered approach strengthens prevention efforts and ultimately helps reduce the victimization of older people."

"Overall, while violent crime is dropping dramatically here in Georgia and across the nation, elder fraud continues to increase as criminals target some of our most vulnerable," said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta's Macon office. "We want to provide older adults with every possible resource to protect themselves. It is important for victims to not be ashamed and report the crimes when they happen."

"The U.S. Attorney and the FBI did an outstanding job explaining just how easily seniors can become targets of scams. Their message reassured our residents that there is no shame in being scammed, what matters is reporting it," said Mary Hudson, the Assisted Living Administrator of Pruitt Place Peake Active Assisted Living Community. "I'm grateful for their commitment to sharing this program with our community and helping protect our seniors."

U.S. Attorney Keyes and SSRA Gibbs spoke to residents at the Pruitt Place Peake Active Assisted Living Community in Macon on Friday, October 2. During the hour-long presentation and conversation, participants learned how to recognize warning signs of financial mistreatment, common tactics used in financial scams, and how to protect themselves from these crimes. According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) data, in 2025 there were $7.7 billion in losses from over 200,000 victims. This is a 37% increase in complaints from 2024. For more information about these types of crimes, please visit https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/common-frauds-and-scams/elder-fraud.

For more information about how you can bring this training to older adult and senior living communities or community groups within the Middle District of Georgia, please contact Dion Lyons, Law Enforcement Coordinator with the U.S. Attorney's Office, at [email protected] or call (478) 733-9659.

This training is offered as part of the National Fraud Enforcement Division's efforts. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department's work to combat fraud supports President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.